October 5, 2013
by BulgingButtons 8 Comments

Three Month Challenge Check In

Roughly three months ago I had my 47th birthday and decided to give myself some challenges for my 47th year. Some of them are coming along quite nicely, and others have yet to begin. Here’s a quick overview of how things are going for two reasons. First of all, there’s accountability. If I announce what I’m doing (or not doing) I’m more likely to progress toward my goals. Secondly, I want to give myself a push in the right direction. I have to revisit the goals to get them fresh in my mind again. Hopefully this won’t sting too much. I’ve included several links to posts that address particular goals, so feel free to poke around and read some.

1. Get at least one piece of writing published, in print, not via internet- not yet, but I am published in an online magazine, so it’s a start

2. Commit to eating home cooked meals at least four times a week (eMeals is helping with this one, check them out!)– sometimes yes, often no

3. Leave the house in plenty of time to not rush every morning– this one has been going really great

4. Read 47 books –I’m only at nine (not including books I read to my students), but I’m off this week, so that number should go up! Check the facebook page for my reads.

5. Start a writing group – yes, but not the way I originally thought. I’m doing a writing group with kids. I also belong to a group, so starting a new one right now doesn’t seem to make sense.

6. Reconnect with old friends – I’m attending my college reunion next week, and there’s already talk a a high school reunion for next year. That conversation has gotten me back in touch with some friends from long ago.

7. Take my meds everyday until I no longer need them– Check! I finally figured out a method that works for me and never miss them now.

8. Use the treadmill at least once a week (hey, you have to start somewhere!)– honestly, no. More than before, but still not once a week.

9. Try Zumba (even though I have two left feet)– not yet

10. Finish the charity quilt on my sewing table- mortified to admit, but also not yet

11. Finish one UFO (unfinished object) per month (this would mostly be quilts) – uh, no

12. Eat more fruit– yes! I more or less like fruit now and have some almost every day.

13. Eat more vegetables – doing ok on this one, could do much better

14. Drink less soda-I was but now I’m not. Time to refocus on this one.

15. Teach my son to drive (eeeeeeek!)- not yet

16. Take the dog to the dog park at least once a week – not yet ( it’s been too flipping HOT)

17. Finish the office to make it a nice place to work (clear out clutter and organize) – and again, not yet (I’m seeing a pattern, gulp)

18. Donate unused items (just dropped off a bunch of items today but there’s more to get rid of) – this is ongoing but we could use another round

19. Leave work at a reasonable hour each day – most of the time I do

20. Limit pinterest addiction (it’s embarrassing, really) – I rarely go on Pinterest unless I’m looking for something specific. I don’t surf it though.

21. Keep on blogging! At least once a week share thoughts, ideas, challenges, triumphs, etc through this forum – YES!

22. Learn how to be a better blogger (and a more widely read blogger) – learning slowly but surely

23. Learn to box, really, I want pink boxing gloves and something to hit – I’ve started

24. Try to improve sleep habits – working on this one

25. Save up for a really cool family vacation -working on this one

26. Try to listen to my teenager better instead of just talking at him – this one is so so so hard

27. Talk to mom more – a couple of times a week

28. Discover more of my state (there are tons of hidden treasures I’ve never seen -not yet

29. Take more photos on my actual camera instead of my phone – working on this one

30. Learn some new aspects of the job I’ve been doing for a long time – working on this one too

31. Figure out some additional ways to get income into the household – I have two additional income opportunities I didn’t have three months ago, and the possibility of a third one

32. Take better care of my car (it has over 100,000 miles and it has to last!) – I did make it wait a while for its last oil change…

33. Fit better in my clothes – YES

34. Lighten up mentally! – YES

35. Surprise my sweetheart with a weekend away – not yet

36. Girls only day trip- probably in November

37. Climb that stupid mountain- haven’t even tried yet

38. Read magazines, then recycle (so hard to part with some of them, and no, I’m NOT a hoarder)- zero progress on this one (maybe I do have a few hoarder tendencies)

39. Push my limits in all ways –I could do better

40. Don’t forget to be kind, to myself and others – most of the time, yes

41. Look good in THOSE jeans again – not yet

42. Give myself a reason to replace my sneakers at this time next year – I better put some more miles on them

43. Sing even if I’m not great at it – yes, but mainly when nobody but the dog is around

44. Do more with less – doing pretty well with this

45. Get things done right away when possible- I suck at this, but I have been paying bills early

46. Have fun – I do

47. Enjoy life – ditto

Well, clearly I have some work to do, but on the flip side I’ve made a lot of positive strides in the past three months. I’m not disappointed by what I’ve learned through this little exercise. I know that these are achievable goals, and given a positive attitude and determination, I’m sure the next check in will show even more progress toward completing them.

September 28, 2013
by BulgingButtons 4 Comments

Daily Passion Prompt 18: Inspiration Island

TODAY’S QUESTION

DAY #18: If you could bring 10 people that inspire you to an island with you and spend one day with each of them, who would they be and why would you take them?

First off, let’s clarify what I’m envisioning with this particular prompt. Let’s start with the location. The particular island we’re talking about is something you might find at the Club Med of my dreams. It is beautiful and has all the amenities that I might want for whatever activity I wish to explore. Secondly, these inspirational people simply show up for their day and spend it with me, sharing their wisdom and insight. They don’t find it strange, they don’t want anything in return, and they don’t complain of jet lag or headaches or anything else that might interfere with our experience. When their day is up they head back to wherever they came from, and I carry on with my next companion. I also limited my selections to people who are currently alive. Just so it didn’t get creepy, you know? So now that we have THAT settled, here we go.

1. Chris Powell. Duh. If you’ve been reading the BulgingButtons for any length of time you know I’m a big fan of his. Chris and I would have a heart to heart, and he would help get me energized and focused to make the most impactful positive changes to my overall wellness. He would teach me the moves I need and set me up with a foolproof plan. At least in my dreams. Oh, and he’s written books. Bonus: he’s not too hard on the eyes either.

2. Rachael Ray. She can teach me to cook delicious food that’s good for me and that my whole family will eat with pleasure. She also seems incredibly personable, and she’s an author. She is another person who defined her dreams and went for them, and, I’m guessing, keeps doing just that.

3. Stacy London. The TLC What Not to Wear diva could help me dress this body of mine to best advantage, allowing me to strut my stuff and hold my head high, no matter what the scale might say. Feeling confident and sexy does make a difference, and dressing to advantage has a role in how you feel. And did I mention that she also writes?

4. The Dalai Lama. He’s just so doggone nice. And smart. And otherworldly. And hip. Really, I think he’s got it going on. Oh, and he also has written several books.

5. J.K. Rowling. I guess I don’t have to tell you what she’s best known for, do I? I would love to pick her brain. Where does she get it all?! Incredible.

6. Rafe Esquith, teacher and author extraordinaire. He is inspirational, not only to teachers, but far more importantly, to kids. I would love to have an in-depth conversation on the current state of education and the impact it has on kids. I envision a meeting of the minds that will spur me on to orchestrating ever greater opportunities for my students.

7. SARK. She has written and illustrated many inventive, honest, funny, and inspirational books. She definitely thinks in colors and dreams and swirls. I like her style!

8. Tula Pink. One of the modern quilt world’s stars, she’s a designer and author, as well as a quilt maker. I would love to talk inspiration with her.

9. My son. By day nine I will be missing him terribly. I would love to spend a day in paradise with him without the distractions of school and work and obligations and responsibilities. I would love to just relax and have fun with him, and to connect with him as we splash in the ocean and bite into juicy pineapple, our favorite.

10. Last, but certainly not least, my sweetheart. I would finish this incredibly transformative experience by sharing an uninterrupted day alone with him. Bonus: he would stay the night and we would go home together.

The bad news? This scenario is infinitely unlikely to happen. The good news? I have links to the wisdom of all of these inspirational people, except my family. I get to see my family in real life, though, so it’s not so bad. Thank goodness for the written word. Although it will never be a perfect substitute for being there, it can still convey a lifetime of learning.

September 13, 2013
by BulgingButtons 19 Comments

And the Winner is…

Guess what folks. It’s Award Time! Ok, this is so exciting for me that it’s ridiculous, but I’m giddy with the news that Mama, from Reinvention of Mama, has nominated me for not one, but four blogging awards! Hooray! Of course there are others she nominated too, and some of them are some of my favorites as well. The awards are as follows:

1. WordPress Family Award

Rules: Display the award on your blog, link back to the person who nominated you, nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family.

2. Semper Fidelis Award (for those who are ‘always faithful/always loyal)

3. Reader Appreciation Award for those who like and comment on a regular basis.

4. Liebster Award– for awesome blogs with smaller readerships

Rules: Display the award logo, thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to his or her blog. Answer the 11 questions that your nominator asks you, post 11 random facts about yourself, nominate 11 bloggers of your own, with under 200 followers, whom you think are as awesome as you, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

Disclaimer: I don’t always know how many people follow your blogs. I don’t always know who has visited mine. These are blogs that are meaningful to me for various reasons all covered in one way or another by the above awards, so let’s not get too hung up on the particulars, and have some fun checking out some great blogs and bloggers.

My nominees are:

The Goddess Weighs In

The Lovely Photog

Becoming the Best Me

Post Departum Depression

Far From Done

Gagas and Wayways

Fat Bottom Girl Said What

A Bahamian in Austria

Our Year in Huaran

Wombat Quilts

Girls vs Blog

11 questions from Mama:

At what age did you begin writing? I began at about age four, when I scrawled my name all over my territory with a Sharpie marker.
Did you write any really bad high school angsty poetry? Care to share? I really didn’t. I did more journaling at that time. I did submit a satire piece to the high school literary magazine that I rediscovered recently. It’s not funny enough to bother retyping, though.
What is your favorite novel to read? I really enjoy Young Adult novels. Catcher in the Rye might be my favorite, but I do love The Hunger Games series. The Time Traveler’s Wife stayed with me for a long time, too.
Are there any books you have read more than once? I’m a teacher, there are lots. I’ve also reread a few for pleasure too, but not many, there are so many I haven’t read yet that I want to read new ones.
If you’re writing a book, what genre? Oh, I write a little of this and a little of that. There’s a mystery thing started, and a memoir too.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Gator Boys. Love them.
If you could do anything, completely start over -what would it be? Maybe meet my fiancé sooner? I don’t think we were ready for each other though, so I think I’m fine with the timeline of my life as it has happened.
What’s the funniest thing you have done recently? Funny, ha ha, or funny weird? Can’t think of either so I suppose it doesn’t matter. Next!
Hoping that you have a good friend to call on when you need her/him, at what age did you meet them? I have several from different times in my life. I’m still friends with people from elementary school. Some of my best friends have been fixtures in my life since the following ages: 12, 17, 22, 35, 40, and 44. Aren’t I fortunate? I know I am.
What state would you live in if you could pick up and move, no holds barred? I did pick up and move, and I came here to Arizona. It’s home now.
Is city or country living for you? Neither. I’m a suburban girl, through and through. I did my city living in my twenties, but now it’s the ‘burbs for me.

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I dislike watermelon, peanut butter, and cucumbers.

2. I kill plants. Not on purpose. It just happens.

3. I have an irrational fear of giant cockroaches. I know everyone hates them, but seeing them causes a near panic state in me.

4. I was adopted at birth.

5. Underneath a sometimes bold exterior I’m fairly shy, at least at first.

6. I’m having a ball trying new things as I age, and caring less about what “the world” thinks of what I do or say.

7. Number six is partly a lie. I really do care what people think of the things I say, or at least about the things I write.

8. My favorite treadmill music is Cher belting out disco tunes at high volume.

9. In my dreams I can sing.

10. I love to see new places, even if some people think travel is a form of “fairy dust” that people sprinkle on themselves in order to seem more interesting.

11. I will ever believe in the power of flying pigs.

11 questions from Me: